Fatal flaw
by Hartt
Summary: Everyone had one; a fatal flaw. His? Everyone he cared about usually ended up dead...and he was the reason that it happened. RATED T FOR TORTURE, DEATH AND LANGUAGE! TRIGGER WARNING IN PLACES!


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alex Rider and anyone in this story, except maybe a few of them but we'll get to that another time.  
**

* * *

**FATAL FLAW: PROLOGUE**

Thomas Harris was many things. A member of the school's football team, the most desired boy in school - not including the infamous Alex Rider - which came with a fan club of sorts, the happiest and most hyper boy in school and the one who kept Alex Rider sane.

Alex looked ordinary. Messy dirty blonde hair that never seemed to look tidy, brown eyes and a pale complexion. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, had you looked a bit closer, you would have noticed the guarded, cold depths that this eyes seemed to hold, the scars that appeared without pattern on his body, the way he seemed older than his years or even the way his body always seemed to be coiled like a snake preparing to strike. His whole posture screamed danger.

It was because of this that people seemed to flock to him. They all wanted to be the one who found out Alex Rider's secret to where he disappeared every so often. There was speculation about where he went and what was the cause of his injuries, but it still remained that no one was sure what to believe anymore. They were prepared to believe that he was a drug dealer or part of a gang until the evidence he was neither stacked up. Someone had streamed a recording of Alex Rider blowing the school's science labs up a few years ago during assembly.

No one was sure where the recording came from, as they could not find it afterwards. The biggest mystery of all was when Alex remained at school. They knew if he was like them, ordinary, he would of been kicked out of the school. After that incident Mr Bray, the head teacher, had walked around the school with a calculating look and seemed jumpy. They weren't sure who exactly Alex Rider was, but they knew that he was something they never thought of. All that was left was to figure out what that was.

* * *

"Agent Rider?" A hushed voice called into the room where a teenager laid, blonde hair sprawled out on the pillow. The teenager wasn't even underneath the duvet. The only response the owner of the voice received was the slight stirring of the teenager. "Agent Rider!" The voice yelled. The teenager shot up, icy brown eyes narrowed into slits. His blonde hair was tousled and messy. He was called Alex Rider.

He gritted his teeth, hoping if he glared enough that the agent that was suppose to be here, just for legal purposes, continued to act as though he was a child and needed waking up. At that moment his alarm clock blared. Making it clear to the agent, that Alex hadn't bothered to ask for his name, that his services were not wanted. The agent retreated out of the way, much to the relief of Alex.

Alex stood up, stretching the sleep out of his muscles. He made his way to the wardrobe, opening the doors so he could search for his uniform. He pulled his pyjamas on and replaced them with clean underwear and his school uniform. He ensure his top shirt button was undone and his tie was tied loosely around his neck. He couldn't bear to have it done up right to his neck after one of his close calls he encountered on one of his missions. It just brought back of what had happened.

Alex walked downstairs, rolling his eyes as the smell of bacon and eggs reached him. He was determined to make this agent realise he couldn't just walk into his life and expect to replace Jack. Even thinking about the fiery redhead that treated him as a big sister would led to him temporarily indulged into his thoughts. He could have prevented Jack's death; but only if he hadn't been careless. If Alex had one wish he wouldn't waste it on anything except to have the redhead back. She was his rock, his only anchor in an ocean of bitterness that he faced everyday.

Ignoring the agent expecting him to go into the kitchen he walked outside, after snatching up his backpack and putting it on his back, finding his bike and swinging himself onto it. He only had 2 months left until his exams. 2 months until he could begin the ordinary stress and blur of examinations every student in year 11 faced. Alex started the ride to his school, taking the long way instead of the short way, just so he could blow off some steam.

Once he reached school he locked his bike up securely before trekking across the playground, ignoring the drizzle of rain that started on his way across. As soon as he entered the school he walked as quickly as he could to registration. He knew Tom would have something to eat. The black haired, blue eyed boy always had a snack for him to eat, knowing that he didn't eat breakfast at home anymore. Entering the room he located his friend, already sat in their usual place.

The table in the back right corner was known as theirs, no one else tried to sit there. Alex liked sitting here. It was furthest away from the windows, a blocked view to him if anyone looked into the room from outside, yet he could see out of it. It was also close to the door, the door was located in the middle of the right hand wall; just 3 desks down from the desk they always sat at. The door even opened in such a way that they would know if it opened before anyone even walked in.

It was perfect for him. Alex took the seat beside his friend. "Hey." Alex said. At that moment he heard his stomach make the awkward dying whale noise that everyone hated. Tom chuckled at that.

"Still refusing to eat breakfast at home?" He asked, as he got his bag out and took a cereal bar out, handing it to his friend.

"He acts like my father." Alex grumbled, as he began eating the cereal bar. It was silent between the two as he ate. "It's just- strange without Jack, you know?" Alex asked his friend.

"Yeah, I know." Tom said. One of the many reasons Alex trusted Tom was that he didn't sugar coat it or try to give him some speech about how it was all for the best, he didn't even pity him. Tom just spoke to him like he was _just _Alex. As if saving the world wasn't normal for his friend. "Did you do the Science homework?"

"What Science homework?" Alex asked with a frown.

"Damn, we're screwed." Tom groaned. "I was kind of hoping you would have done it so I could copy it. My mum shredded my dad's work papers, as well as my homework accidentally." Tom sighed.

"That could be a new excuse." Alex said, trying to cheer his friend up. He knew how upset he sometimes got over his parents arguing. "My mum shredded it." Alex was relieved to see Tom at least crack a smile as their form tutor began calling their names on the register.

On the way to their next lesson the two friends walked together, arguing about the latest football match and if it was a fair game or not. It was a normal conversation, almost misleading to anyone who listened. They settled in their seat in English, in the middle row and third table back. They were waiting for their English teacher to come when something strange happened. Screams and a gun shot. Alex stood up, Tom following as the rest of the class followed their actions. They walked outside the corridor, just in time to see a man with a gun being tackled to the ground by security. There laying on the floor in front of their classroom was their teacher.

A perfect bullet entrance was in the middle of his forehead. There was barely any blood, that was good. However it was unmistakable that their teacher laid dead on the floor. Alex felt his stomach twisting into knots. No one just got shot around him. He was usually the cause.

He knew that he was the reason for the panic at Brooklands Comprehensive that day.

* * *

**A/N: So...how did I do? Good? Awful? Terrible? Let me know. I decided to leave Tom in because I missed having him in. I adore Tom. He's one of my favourite people to write about.**


End file.
